So recently i noticed that my CPU has been on 72C for… well, 10-15h with few pauses between like 2h interval.
The problem was that my fan speed was reseted and now i am worried if that has coused any problems for my CPU and is there any way i can check if it is damaged?
Thanks a lot!
If it is still booting and running ok then the CPU probably wasn’t damaged too much. You may have shortened its life a bit. If it is an Intel processor they have software on their web site that you can download to fully test the processor. I imagine AMD has something similar on their web site.
Intel’s tool is called (creatively enough…) the intel processor diagnostic tool. Go to Intel’s site and search on that name. They have 32 and 64 bit versions available.
Note that some types of damage won’t show up on these types of tests. Basically, picture a whole bunch of ropes lifting a whole bunch of different weights, and the only thing you can tell is if the weights go up and down. You’ll easily be able to tell if one of the ropes broke, but if some of the ropes are frayed you won’t be able to tell. In the long run though, the frayed ropes are likely to wear out and break sooner. Heat damage to the transistors and such inside the CPU can be kinda the same way.
Depends completely on which processor you have in your system. (Different chips have different thermal maximums. For instance, a relatively well cooled Core i5 or i7 of the last three generations would be just fine at 72C when at 100% load. That’s just fine. However, do that on an Athlon64, and you’ll have a fried chip pretty soon.
This is assuming that the 72C is when the CPU is running at full load. If you are at 72C when the processor is IDLE, then shut off your computer now, remove the heatsink, clean off existing thermal compound, apply new thermal compound (not too much) and reseat the heatsink, since you’re going to fry your chip as soon as you start having extended load.
For a comparison point, my machine has an Intel Core i5 2500K, running at 4.4GHz, and I idle at around 30-34C and reach between 68-72C when running for a while at full load. This is with a pretty good (though not crazy good) aftermarket heatsink, two fans in push/pull and good case ventilation.
If your machine didn’t crash, though, you are almost certainly fine. Running very hot (especially if overclocking) will shorten the life of the chip, but the chip will likely crash the machine if you’re causing immediate damage.
IANAHE (I am not a hardware engineer), but…
You should be able to look up the safe operating temperature for your CPU based on its model. My understanding is that most modern CPUs have an internal temperature sensor that will switch them off if they reach dangerous temperatures, which are usually significantly higher than you report (usually in the 85-100C range), so chances are that there’s nothing to worry about.
My bad, i totaly forgot to mention my CPU.
Intel Core i5-3570K
And i will do the testing, thanks for the tips.
the 3570k is designed to be overclocked (that’s what the K means) and it has pretty high thermal maximums - 72C won’t damage it
It isn’t really possible to “fry your chip” with a modern CPU absent some pretty extreme conditions. CPUs will throttle themselves as their thermal margin gets close to zero. The net result is a very slow (and often unstable) system, but not damaged silicon.
Thanks a lot for the replies!
It’s more or less clear to me and you may archieve this thead unless there are people who still wish to discuss this matter. Thanks.
True, but 72 at idle would indicate very poor contact with the heatsink, so a load spike could conceivably be some of those extreme conditions if things shift a little bit, but yes, the CPU will throttle down or shut down when TJMax is reached.
But yes, 72 at 100% load on a 3570K is just fine.
plus, GPUs regularly reach 80°C without damage, or even errors.
http://techreport.com/review/24832/nvidia-geforce-gtx-780-graphics-card-reviewed/8